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Seven Days of Principles

A post-Christmas celebration

Kwanzaa has been celebrated in its current incarnation for 42 years, which is still early days for a holiday. But the seven guiding principles behind Kwanzaa have been around much longer  its hard to argue against ideas such as unity and creativity, after all. This year, the hot principle will be Ujamaa, or cooperative economics. With the current state of the economy (this is being typed on a Speak & Spell hooked into a mostly-broken Dictaphone, for Petes sake), people should really be looking for a better financial theory than run it into the ground and beg for a bailout. These three theories  unity, creativity and cooperative economics  are demonstrated ably at Kwanzaa: A Cultural Celebration, at the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park (314-721-0072 or www.slam.org). At 6 p.m. in the auditorium, keynote speaker Rudy Wilson discusses the holiday and its meaning, and youre invited  thats unity right there. Wilson is joined by Moja Moya and Company, a group of drummers and dancers  theres your creativity. At 7 p.m., adjourn to the sculpture hall where kids can participate in a make-and-take Kwanzaa gift project while all ages enjoy Kwanzaa-themed refreshments and the music of David A.N. Jackson and ACOOAAH!  thats even more creativity. And the cost for all of this? Free admission, and if free isnt cooperative economics, what is?
Fri., Dec. 26, 2008